DENIS DUMAS
Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
University of Maryland, College Park
3304 Benjamin Building, College Park, MD 20742
ddumas@umd.edu
301-405-6956
Updated: November 2014
EDUCATION
PhD
Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Specialization: Educational Psychology
Advisor: Dr. Patricia A. Alexander
Anticipated
May 2016
MA
Educational Measurement and Statistics
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Advisor: Dr. Ji Seung Yang
Anticipated
May 2015
BA
English
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Magna cum laude
2010
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Reasoning
Psychometrics
Creativity
STEM Education
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Project Manager
Relational Reasoning
2011-present
Oversee process, create measures, design experiments, and analyze data from relational
reasoning project in the Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Laboratory.
Laboratory Team
Member
Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Laboratory
2011-present
Principal Investigator: Dr. Patricia Alexander
Examined higher-order cognitive abilities foundational to 21st century education
including reasoning, creativity, and memory.
Graduate Research
Assistant
Laboratory for Scientific Thinking, Reasoning and Education: Genes,
Brains, Minds, and Creativity
Principal Investigator: Dr. Kevin Dunbar
Systematically investigated analogical and relational thinking,
creativity, and medical and scientific reasoning.
Undergraduate
Research Assistant
Comprehension, Motivation, and Cognition Laboratory
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Cromley
Assisted with three NSF and IES funded studies
Research Fellow
Temple University Diamond Scholars Program
Planned, conducted, and presented an independent research project
Summer 2012,
2013, 2014
2008-2011
Summer 2010
SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS
Refereed Journal Articles
Alexander, P. A., Dumas, D., Grossnickle, E. M., List, A., & Firetto, C. (in press). Measuring relational
reasoning. Journal of Experimental Education.
Dumas, D., Alexander, P.A., & Singer, L.M. (in press) Analyzing historical patterns, examining current
trends, and forecasting change in the field of educational psychology: A cross-cultural
perspective. Knowledge Cultures.
Dumas, D., Dunbar, K. N. (2014). Understanding fluency and originality: A latent variable perspective.
Thinking Skills and Creativity, 14, 56-67.
Dumas, D., Alexander, P. A., Baker, L. M., Jablansky, S., Dunbar, K. N. (2014). Relational Reasoning in
medical education: patterns in discourse and diagnosis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106,
1021-1035. doi: 10.1037/a003677
Dumas, D., Alexander, P. A., & Grossnickle, E. M. (2013). Relational reasoning and its manifestations
in the educational context: A systematic review of the literature. Educational Psychology Review,
25, 391-427.
Alexander, P. A., & the Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Laboratory. (2012). Reading
into the future: Competence for the 21st century. Educational Psychologist, 47, 259-280.
Chapters in Edited Volumes
Alexander, P. A., Grossnickle, E. M., Dumas, D., & Hattan, C. (in press). A retrospective and
prospective examination of cognitive strategies and academic development: Where have we
come in twenty-five years? In A. O’Donnell (Ed.), Handbook of educational psychology. Oxford,
UK: Oxford University Press.
Dumas, D. (2014). A reflection on John Raines. In M. A. De La Torre and E. D. Aponte (Eds.), Seeking
Justice: The Journey of John C. Raines. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Manuscripts in Revision
Dumas, D., Schmidt, L. (2014). Relational reasoning as predictor for engineering ideation success. Journal
of Engineering Design.
Manuscripts under Review
Grossnickle, E. M., Dumas, D., Alexander, P. A. (2014). Component processes of relational reasoning:
A Bayesian perspective.
Dumas, D., Alexander, P. A., Schmidt, L. (2014). Predicting creative problem-solving in mechanical
engineering.
INVITED TALKS
Dumas, D. (2014). Creative problem solving: Process and product in engineering education. Talk
given at the 2014 Science and Technology Education for Sustainable Development
International Conference, Washington, DC, November 20, 2014.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS
Dumas, D., Schmidt, L. C. (2015). Relational reasoning in mechanical engineering. In G. M. Sinatra (Chair),
Relational reasoning in STEM domains: What empirical research can contribute to the national
dialogue. Symposium to be conducted at the 2015 annual meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, Chicago, IL, April 16-20, 2015.
Dumas, D., Dunbar, K. N. (2015). Understanding fluency and originality: A latent variable perspective.
Paper to be presented at the 2015 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association,
Chicago, IL, April 16-20, 2015.
Jablansky, S., Dumas, D., Alexander, P.A. (2015). Development of Relational Reasoning in Primary and
Secondary School Students. Paper to be presented at the 2015 annual meeting of the American
Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, April 16-20, 2015.
Dumas, D. (Chair), (2015), Computer Science and Engineering Education in Elementary and Middle School.
Session to be conducted at the 2015 annual meeting of the American Educational Research
Association, Chicago, IL, April 16-20, 2015.
Dumas, D. (Chair), (2015), Text Difficulty, Genre, and Medium Effects on Reading.. Session to be conducted
at the 2015 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, April
16-20, 2015
Dumas, D. (Chair), (2015), Professional Identity. Roundtable to be conducted at the 2015 annual meeting of
the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL, April 16-20, 2015.
Dumas, D., Dunbar, K. N. (2014) Shift Perspective, Enhance Creativity: Leveraging Stereotypes to Improve
Creative Performance. Paper presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, Philadelphia, PA, April 3-7, 2014.
Dumas, D., Alexander, P. A., Baker, L. M, Jablansky, S., Dunbar, K. N. (2014). Evidencing Relational
Reasoning in Medical Education: Reasoning Patterns in Discourse and Diagnosis. Paper presented
at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA,
April 3-7, 2014.
Dumas, D. (Chair), (2014), Self-directed and external supports for student learning. Session conducted at
the 2014 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA, April
3-7, 2014.
Dumas, D., Grossnickle, E. M., & Alexander, P. A. (2013). Relational Reasoning and its Manifestations in
the Educational Context: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Paper presented at the 2013 annual
meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA, April 27-May 1,
2013
Baggetta, P., Dumas, D., Grossnickle, E. M. (2013) Deconstructing Relational Reasoning. In J. M.
Kulikowich (Chair), Exploring and Leveraging Relational Thinking for Academic Performance.
Symposium conducted at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Educational Research
Association, San Francisco, CA, April 27-May, 2013
Cromley, J. G., Horvat, E. M., Perez, A. C., Agbenyega, E. T.-B., Wills, T., Tanaka, J. C.,
Dumas, D., Raja, R., & Sheth, D. (2012). Cognitive and Motivational Predictors of FirstYear Biology Grades. Paper presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the American
Educational Research Association, Vancouver, BC, April 13-17, 2012.
Cromley, J. G., Wills, T. W., Stephens, C. R., Dumas, D., Herring, M. H., Luciw-Dubas, U. A.,
Snyder-Hogan, L. E., Burton, D., & Mendelsohn, T. (2010) A content analysis of images
in biology and geoscience textbooks. Paper presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the
National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Philadelphia, PA, March 20-24,
2010.
WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED
List, A., Musu-Gillette, L. E., Singer, L., Dumas, D., & Lee, K. (2014). Hands on stats: A guide to basic
statistical analyses. Workshop presented at the 122nd annual meeting of the American Psychological
Association, Washington, D.C., August 7-10, 2014.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Instructor
Summer Teacher
University of Maryland, College Park
Human Development across the Lifespan (EDHD320);
Independently planned and taught lessons for 2 sections of 45
undergraduate students per semester; created syllabus, assessments,
and additional materials related to this course.
Americorps
Independently planned and taught lessons for 30 economically
disadvantaged 4th and 5th graders
2013present
Summer
2009
PSYCHOMETRIC MODELS AND PROGRAMMING
Models
1. Multi-dimensional Item Response Theory
2. Structural Equation Modeling
3. Latent Semantic Analysis
4. Bayesian Networks
5. Factor Analysis
6. Cluster/Latent Class Analysis
7. Loglinear/Non-parametric analysis
8. Multi-level Modeling
Programs
1. R
2. FlexMIRT
3. WinSteps
4. Parscale
5. OpenBugs
6. Lisrel
7. SPSS
SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE __________________________________________________________
Undergraduate research assistant supervisor
Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Lab
Mentored undergraduate research assistants in data collection and analysis
2011present
Undergraduate research assistant supervisor
Laboratory for Scientific Thinking, Reasoning and Education: Genes, Brains, Minds, and
Creativity
Mentored undergraduate research assistants in data collection and analysis
McNair scholars research mentor
McNair Scholar Program
Mentored an undergraduate researcher on an independent project
2012present
2014
EDITORIAL AND REVIEW EXPERIENCE
Ad Hoc Reviewer
1. Contemporary Educational Psychology
2. American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting: Neuroscience
and Education SIG
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FUNDING
Support Program for Advancing Research and Collaboration (SPARC) Dissertation Grant
Perkins Dissertation Fellowship
Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant
University of Maryland
UMD College of Education Scholarship
University of Maryland
Human Development Graduate Student Travel Award
University of Maryland
Graduate Dean’s Fellowship
University of Maryland
Presidential Scholarship
Temple University
2015
2015
Under
Review
2013
2013
2013-2015
2011present
2006-2010
PROFESSIONAL AND DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE
College of Education Assembly University of Maryland
Human Development Graduate Student Organization, University of Maryland
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Educational Research Association, Division C
American Psychological Association, Division 15
2012-2013
2011-2013